One of the few things that has made me nervous about moving from Texas to Virginia is the homeschool law. In Texas, all I had to do was teach!  There were some basic things they wanted me to teach, but I was definitely doing that. I did not have to report to the school district or report test scores or anything. That gave me time to do what was really important, plan lessons and study and teach!  Virginia, on the other hand, has requirements. I have to file a Notice of Intent in Aug with a list of our subjects.  Yearly I have to report my kids' test scores. If they are not high enough, I have to submit a plan to approach the weaknesses and show success in one year, or they will have to attend public school.  

    I have to wonder what Patrick Henry would have done about this if he lived today. He, himself, was homeschooled. He was the first vocal force against taxation without representation.  Personally I think that the school district should concetrate their time and efforts on their enrollees instead of worrying about homeschoolers who often prove themselves successful with standardized testing, becoming National Merit Scholars, etc. 

     I used to be a reading/study skills tutor in college. One of the classes I would teach was test taking. Test taking is an art, and done differently from real school. I know many who do not test well, yet know the material well.  I worried that the kids would be in this group. In preparation for their test taking, I had them take practice tests.  They learned the tricks of time management, circling in bubbles that the computer can read, etc.  Also I kept telling them they are merely doing what they already knew how to do well.  

     Along with my fears was their history.  My son is a preemie and for years he was monitored for physical concerns and intellectual capacity. Anyone who is around my son knows that there is little to worry about in his mental capacity. However I remember the hours and days spent holding his tiny body in the NICU, wondering what his future would look like.  My daughter has actually struggled a bit more in school.  Both of my kids were diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder as toddlers, which can present huge learning challenges in school.  My son has always been pretty much self taught, but my daughter has always needed me to hold her hand in each new area for a while before she could fly. We went to Colonial Williamsburg this past weekend for the 30th Anniversary of the African American programming. (Stay tuned for blogging on this incredible weekend.) One of the events we attended was storytelling where a lady told the story of no person being able to limit another, but that they are all capable of flying with the unique abilities God has given them. I know she told this in reference to her family history of slavery, but this has been my philosophy of teaching in both public school and while homeschooling, as well. I have always tried to help my students reach for the highest star. Would my daughter be able to reach the star of passing scores in standardized testing, as required by the Commonwealth of Virginia?     

     Last month my kids took their first standardized test. Afterwards my son felt great about his but my daughter was worried about hers. We just received the test results. Drum roll please...my daughter scored in the 90%ile and my son scored in the 98%ile!